changes to mother

• Changes occur in the mother’s body to allow her to adjust to the needs of pregnancy

  • Start very early in pregnancy
  • Most take place before demands foetus will have on mother for oxygen, nutrients, waste removal
• During the embryonic period (when the organ systems are developing) women easily supply oxygen and nutrients embryo requires.

  Later weeks (when large amounts of oxygen and nutrients are needed) adjustments are required in functioning of the woman’s body

  • Her functions slow down - allow nutrients to stay in the blood for longer 

  → enables them to be more easily diffused across placenta for use by foetus
• Slowing of body functioning has disadvantages 

  • Alimentary canal is less active 

  → stomach empties more slowly

  → constipation is common

  • Concentration of nutrients in the bloodstream is higher

  → more tend to be filtered out by the kidneys

  → nutrients is lost in the urine

  Loss can be compensated for by a well-balanced diet.
• For foetus to obtain nutrients required, large amount of blood needs to flow through placenta

  • Met by : gradual increase in volume of mother’s blood and faster rate of circulation through mother’s blood vessels 
  • Results from increase in rate at which the heart beats (heart rate)  and amount of blood pumped with each beat (stroke volume)

  By the end of pregnancy, mother’s blood volume will have increased by 40%.